Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Pat Freiermuth

Tuesday, July 1, 12:10 PM

The Miami Dolphins are finalizing a trade with the New York Giants on Tuesday for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, who is coming out of retirement, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Waller retired last summer after catching 52 of his 74 targets for 552 yards and just one touchdown in 12 games (11 starts) with the G-Men in 2023. Miami was desperate for an addition at tight end after trading Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins and Giants are also swapping late-round draft picks in the Waller trade. Waller will turn 33 in September and hasn't played more than 12 games since his Pro Bowl season in 2020, but he should automatically become Miami's top pass-catching tight end. The volume alone should make him at least a TE2 target with upside in fantasy, but don't expect him to replicate Smith's numbers from last year in Miami.

Sunday, January 12, 12:53 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth logged three receptions for 15 yards on four targets in a Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Freiermuth, who was incredibly productive to close the regular season, wasn't very involved on Saturday night as the Steelers struggled to move the ball for much of the contest. He was given an opportunity on Pittsburgh's first play from scrimmage but unfortunately dropped the pass. The fourth-year pro was signed to a lucrative extension in 2024 and will head into the 2025-2026 campaign as one of the team's featured pass-catchers. For fantasy purposes, Freiermuth's value going forward will largely depend on who is under center for the Steelers with Russell Wilson entering free agency this offseason.